Port Authority Chairman Anthony Coscia keeps his post; Don't show Cory Booker the money; Do as I say, not as I voted

Frank H. Conlon/For The Star-LedgerNew Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, right, introduces state Senator Bill Baroni (R-Mercer) as his appointment to Deputy Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, at the Governor's office in Trenton.

The Auditor is told by key officials that Gov. Chris Christie views the chaos caused by New York Gov. David Paterson’s scandals as an opportunity for his team to gain a leg up at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Christie specifically wants to make sure New Jersey gets its share of transportation dollars from the powerful bistate agency that has a strong voice in plotting the future course for the World Trade Center site and where the two governors equally rule the roost.

Exhibit A of Christie’s thinking was the quick action of naming former state Sen. Bill Baroni to the No. 2 spot at the agency and then having him take office last Monday. Baroni had planned to stay in the Senate at least another week, but Christie wanted him at the authority’s headquarters pushing the New Jersey cause. Baroni declined comment on the politics of his job.

Christie will also keep Port Authority Chairman Anthony Coscia in his post into the spring — far longer than originally planned — even though Coscia is a Democratic appointee who was expected to be replaced by the end of this month. The new New Jersey governor has, The Auditor is told, come to respect Coscia’s professionalism and skill and feels the smartest play is to keep the boat from rocking while the Paterson administration is besieged. Coscia, expert at dealing with the massive bureaucracy and multidimensional politics at the agency, also is able to continue because his nomination to the Amtrak board is being held up in the partisan bickering in D.C. Coscia declined comment, as did Christie’s office.

Don’t show me the money

Newark Mayor Cory Booker called his senior staff for a closed-door meeting Wednesday and gave them an order: No more fund-raising. Not for the campaign, not for the city, not even for charity.

The reason? Booker was feeling the heat after his right-hand man, Pablo Fonseca, was dragged into the sordid case of Ronald Salahuddin, a former deputy mayor recently indicted on bribery and extortion charges. Salahuddin claimed Fonseca helped him steer contracts to a demolition firm in which Salahuddin had an ownership interest.

Fonseca isn’t charged, and Booker’s team says Salahuddin is a blowhard who likes to drop names.

But the fact that Booker is facing an ethics issue is ironic. When he took over city hall from Sharpe James, he revamped Newark’s notoriously loose ethics rules according to the script of good government groups.

With the Salahuddin indictment arriving just in time for the May election, Booker worries any fundraising his team does will be twisted to look nefarious.

"We’re going to leave a whole bunch of money on the table," Booker told the Auditor. "It’s just not worth it. Even a political agent like Pablo."

Booker already has $6 million in the bank, compared to about $250,000 his opponent, Clifford Minor, reported about a month ago.

Do as I say, not as I voted

Christie has scored political points against Democrats by criticizing their legislative manipulations of the state Unemployment Insurance Fund, whose nearly broke status could force higher taxes on businesses and reduced benefits.

But The Auditor has found a number of those controversial maneuvers were enacted when Republicans ran the Legislature in the 1990s, and Christie chief of staff Rich Bagger — then a state lawmaker — voted yes four times from 1992 to 2002.

Derek Roseman, spokesman for Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester), enjoyed this stroll through legislative history. "In Trenton," Roseman said, "politics is often like loading a mousetrap with dynamite: Even when making your point, you might accidentally blow up half your house."

Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak took a diplomatic approach.

"Governors and many legislators of both parties took actions over many years that contributed to New Jersey’s fiscal problems," he said. "Legislators of both parties who themselves took votes that may have contributed to our current situation have the opportunity to join hands with Governor Christie in fixing it."